Production

The city of Miami Gardens was one of the two major contenders to host WrestleMania XXVII along with Atlanta, Georgia. Ultimately, in February 2010, Atlanta was awarded the right to host the event.[8][9][10]
According to the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, WWE management felt that
Miami's planning for the event would have been too hectic with many
other sporting events held in the area around the same time of the
planning, such as Super Bowl XLIV.[10]
However, the Miami area was reportedly considered for the next event
due to its international ties, facilities, airports and experience of
hosting previous major events.[8]

On February 9, 2011, The Miami Herald announced that Miami had won the right to host WrestleMania in 2012.[8] WWE later officially announced the event in a press conference held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.[7][12] WrestleMania XXVIII was the second Wrestlemania event that was hosted in the state of Florida, the fourth open-air event, and the third event to be held entirely outdoors.[8]
For hosting the event, WWE will received a $250,000 cash incentive from
the Miami-Dade Sports Commission raised through grants and
sponsorships.[12]
Along with WrestleMania XXVIII, a series of events grouped as
"WrestleMania Week" were held in the week preceding the event including
WrestleMania's annual WrestleMania Axxessfan convention at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at the American Airlines Arena, the finals of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, and a Celebrity Pro-Am Golf tournament.[7][12][13]

Background

WrestleMania featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[14]

John Cena (left) and the Rock (right) agree to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII.

The main event of WrestleMania XXVIII featured the Rock wrestling against John Cena. On the February 14, 2011 episode of Raw, the Rock was revealed as the host of WrestleMania XXVII, and upon his return to WWE, began a feud with John Cena (and Cena's opponent at that WrestleMania, then-WWE Champion, The Miz), which continued for weeks in terms of verbal insults, until the March 28 episode of Raw, where Cena delivered the Attitude Adjustment to the Rock after he fended off attacks from the Miz and Alex Riley.[15][16] At WrestleMania XXVII, the Rock got involved in the main event WWE Championship match, which initially ended in The Miz's favor via a double count-out, and after restarting the match under no disqualifications, no count-outs rules, he delivered The Rock Bottom to Cena, thus enabling the Miz to pin the latter and win the match.[17] The next night on Raw, Cena challenged the Rock to a one-on-one match
with the Rock proposing that it be held at WrestleMania XXVIII. With
the Rock subsequently accepting, the match was officially announced on
WWE.com.[18]
The following week, Cena announced his intent to defend the WWE
Championship against The Rock in their match at WrestleMania XXVIII. On
the May 2 episode of Raw celebrating the Rock's birthday, Cena,
whilst holding the WWE Championship, confronted the Rock and declared
his intent to keep the title until their match. At Survivor Series
in November 2011, Cena teamed with the Rock (who made his in-ring
return in a match in WWE after nearly eight years, last competing at WrestleMania XX), and billed as "the most charismatic tag team", and defeated the Miz and R-Truth, collectively known as Awesome Truth. After the match, The Rock gave a Rock Bottom to Cena.[19] As Cena does not hold the WWE Championship heading into WrestleMania, it will be a regular one-on-one match.[20]

A second main event, billed as the "end of an era," featured the Undertaker against Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match. The previous year at WrestleMania XXVII, in a No Holds Barred match, The Undertaker defeated Triple H via submission,[17] in their second encounter at a WrestleMania (the first being at WrestleMania X-Seven
in 2001, where the Undertaker won as well). However, in the post-match
events, due to the harsh physicality suffered during the bout, the
Undertaker failed to leave the Georgia Dome on his power, as he was carted away by the medical staff on a stretcher[17]
for the first time in his career, while Triple H left on his own
accord. After a near ten-month long hiatus, The Undertaker returned on
the January 30, 2012 edition of Raw, confronting and challenging Triple H to a rematch at WrestleMania XXVIII,[21]
the reason being The Undertaker having been dissatisfied of his
post-WrestleMania match scenario the previous year, stating "he did not
want that scene to be a lasting memory of him" and was willing to give
Triple H "another chance at immortality". After Triple H refused to
accept the challenge the next week on Raw, his close friend and WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels appeared on the February 13 episode of Raw
to instigate him in accepting The Undertaker's challenge, which was in
vain as Triple H stated he was willing to put his ego and personal
agendas aside for the future of WWE, and viewed The Undertaker's 19-0 undefeated WrestleMania streak
as a "brand" to cash-in for the company, finally ending the argument
saying he would not be the one to end it. Then, on the February 20
episode of Raw, The Undertaker still remained adamant in getting a
WrestleMania rematch with Triple H, going so far as to label Triple H
as a "coward", and comparing his abilities and career to that of Shawn
Michaels.[22]
Enraged due to these comments, Triple H finally accepted The
Undertaker's challenge at WrestleMania XXVIII, saying that if "he
[Undertaker] wanted an end, they would go all the way", and proposed
that they would compete in a Hell in a Cell match.[22] On the March 5 episode of Raw,
Michaels confronted Triple H again, this time expressing his views on
the debate of who was better than the other (Michaels or Triple H), and
predicting Triple H's chances of defeating The Undertaker, in addition
to announcing that he would be the special guest referee in their Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania.[23]

On July 17, 2011, at the Money in the Bank event, Daniel Bryan defeated seven other wrestlers to win the SmackDownMoney in the Bank ladder match.[24] On the July 22 episode of SmackDown, Bryan declared his intentions of cashing-in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania XXVIII.[25] However, despite this claim, he attempted to cash-in his contract briefcase on the November 25 episode of SmackDown. He pinned the reigning World Heavyweight ChampionMark Henry to supposedly win the title and began to celebrate, but SmackDown General ManagerTheodore Long
informed Bryan that Henry was not medically cleared to compete, and
declared the match void, thereby returning the briefcase to Bryan and
the title back to Henry. The next week on Raw, Bryan acknowledged that he went back on his word, saying that headlining WrestleMania was
his dream and that his "plans changed"; that the briefcase "doesn't
guarantee [him] anything", since he could be put out of action at any
time.[26]
WWE, however, continued to maintain the advertisement for WrestleMania,
until Bryan successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract
briefcase on Big Show at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event on December 18, 2011, to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.[27]

In January 2012, at the twenty-fifth annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Sheamus won the thirty-man Royal Rumble match, giving him the right to challenge either the WWE Champion or the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania XXVIII.[28] Sheamus announced on SmackDown that he would decide who he wishes to face at WrestleMania after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.[29]
At the Elimination Chamber event in February, Sheamus attacked Daniel
Bryan, after the latter successfully retained his World Heavyweight
Championship in an Elimination Chamber
match, thus declaring his wish to challenge Bryan for his title at
WrestleMania. The match was officially announced the next day on
WWE.com.

An attendance record setting 78,363 fans at Sun Life Stadium for WrestleMania XXVIII

Another match booked for WrestleMania was from the Raw brand, which features CM Punk defending the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho.
Since the summer of 2011, calling himself the "best wrestler in the
world", Punk went on to win and successfully defend the WWE Championship
numerous times. On the January 2, 2012 episode of Raw, after
extensive hype through several viral vignettes proclaiming the "end of
the world as we know it" on that day, Chris Jericho returned to WWE
after over a year, and established a villainous persona over the next several weeks. On the February 13 episode of Raw,
Jericho accused Punk in an in-ring segment of being a copycat of him,
and that he (Punk) stole his proclamation of being the "best in the
world". While competing in the Raw Elimination Chamber match at the
Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Jericho was knocked out
by a kick to the head by Punk, rendering him unable to compete any
further, and Punk went on to win that match. This incident further
fueled Jericho's animosity towards Punk. On the February 20 episode of Raw, Jericho last eliminated Big Show to win a ten-man battle royal
to determine the number-one contender to face Punk for the WWE
Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII. In subsequent promos, both
wrestlers expressed their desire to prove who is "the best in the
world."[30]

Another title match scheduled was between Cody Rhodes and Big Show for the former's WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Their feud gained increased momentum week after week when, over January
and February 2012, Rhodes began mocking Big Show's less than stellar
performances at WrestleMania over the years, calling him "a reverse
Undertaker" (a direct reference to The Undertaker's undefeated 19-0
record at WrestleMania, compared to Big Show's 3-8 record), in addition
to citing the "ridiculous nature" of some of his matches, such as his Sumo match against Akebono at WrestleMania 21 and a No Disqualifications match against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at WrestleMania XXIV,
both of which Big Show lost. Rhodes also cost Big Show a chance at the
World Heavyweight Championship, by eliminating him from the SmackDown
Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in
February, and a shot at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, when he
pulled Big Show over the top rope, aiding in his elimination by Chris
Jericho in the end of a number-one contender's battle royal on the
February 20 episode of Raw. On the March 2 episode of SmackDown,
General Manager Theodore Long announced an official match between
Rhodes and Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship at
WrestleMania XXVIII, where the latter has vowed "to win at all costs."

At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in February 2012, Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim Raw General Manager, John Laurinaitis and his legal counsel David Otunga expressed Laurinaitis' desire to be become the permanent General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown. Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, and Christian all came out and voiced their support for Laurinaitis over SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long.
Later that night, Long agreed with Laurinaitis' desire for only one man
to run both brands, but believed that it should be him. On the February
21 episode of SmackDown, the two General Managers got into an argument
following a match between Raw's WWE Champion CM Punk and SmackDown's
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan that ended in a draw, with each
man supporting the opposing brand's world champion. The two were then
given the chance by the WWE Board of Directors to run the other show for
one night in order for the Board to evaluate them, with Long running
the March 5 episode of Raw and Laurinaitis in charge of the March 9
episode of SmackDown. But being still not convinced of either man's
decision-making, on March 12, the Board of Directors announced a 12-man tag team match
for WrestleMania XXVIII, with the stipulation that the General Manager
of the winning team being awarded stewardship of both Raw and SmackDown.
The same night on Raw, Long appointed his assistant, Santino Marella
to be the captain of his team, while Laurinaitis appointed Otunga to be
his team's captain, naming Mark Henry as the first member of his team.
On March 15, it was announced that R-Truth
had been added to Long's team. On the March 16 episode of SmackDown,
Christian officially joined Team Johnny (on Laurinaitis' word of being
named the new number one contendor for the World Heavyweight
Championship after WrestleMania, if his team wins), and Kofi Kingston
was announced as Team Teddy's newest member. Prior to the March 19
episode of Raw, Laurinaitis and Otunga announced via WWE.com that Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger have been added to their team as well. On the March 23 episode of SmackDown, Long named Zack Ryder and The Great Khali as members of Team Teddy, while also making Hornswoggle his team's mascot. And finally, on the March 26 episode of Raw, The Miz was added as the last member of Team Johnny, while due to Christian being (kayfabe)
injured by CM Punk later on in the show (the real reason being
Christian not having fully recovered from his real-life ankle injury), Drew McIntyre was announced as his replacement. Also, on the same night, Booker T was named as the sixth and final member of Team Teddy.

Another match scheduled for WrestleMania was between DivasBeth Phoenix and Eve Torres taking on the team of Kelly Kelly and Extra co-host Maria Menounos. The feud between Phoenix and Menounos began on the October 12, 2009 episode of Raw when Menounos accompanied then-Access Hollywood host Nancy O'Dell, who was the guest host of Raw
that night. Phoenix, angered over having been traded to the SmackDown
brand by O'Dell, barged into their office and got into a confrontation
with both women, leading to a Six-Diva tag team match later that night in which Menounos' team defeated Phoenix's team. On the 2011 edition of Tribute to the Troops,
Menounos made an appearance, this time in an Eight-Diva tag team match,
winning the match for her team by pinning Phoenix. Kelly and Eve, on
the other hand, had a falling apart of their friendship after Eve
admitted to having used Zack Ryder and John Cena to further her own career. On the March 15 episode of Extra,
Phoenix and Eve interrupted an interview between Kelly and Menounos,
which resulted in a confrontation. Phoenix would then challenge Menounos
to a match at WrestleMania, which the latter accepted. Later that
night, it was announced on WWE.com that WWE officials had sanctioned a
tag team match pitting Phoenix and Eve against Menounos and Kelly for
WrestleMania XXVIII.

Another rivalry heading into WrestleMania was between Randy Orton and Kane.
On the March 2 episode of SmackDown, Kane interrupted Orton's match
against Daniel Bryan, causing Orton to lose via count-out. The two men
ensued in a brawl, which ended with Orton ultimately being chokeslammed
by Kane, who "welcomed [Orton] back" from being injured at the hands of
Bryan a few weeks ago. Orton retaliated on the March 5 episode of Raw,
by delivering an RKO
to Kane, who had just defeated R-Truth. On the March 9 episode of
SmackDown, Orton and Kane once again brawled at the end of the show with
no man appearing to gain an advantage. The next week on SmackDown, when
Orton demanded Kane to explain the root cause of his attacks on him,
the latter referred to his handshake with Orton after a Street Fight
on the July 22, 2011 episode of SmackDown, in which Orton had defeated
him. Kane, explaining that the handshake made him look weak and "human,"
claimed that this "wretched" self was now gone, and now wanted to
eliminate that memory, and announced that he would challenge Orton at
WrestleMania XXVIII.